


Come With Me

by MurderingHerForChristmas



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-28
Updated: 2015-04-07
Packaged: 2018-03-15 15:53:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3453095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MurderingHerForChristmas/pseuds/MurderingHerForChristmas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At 10 years old, Laura made a promise. If neither of them were married in 15 years, they'd get married. </p><p>15 years later, and Laura won't stop getting these texts and calls. Finally, she answers. </p><p>"So, you married, cupcake?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Other Side

_Carmilla’s dark eyes gazed down at the small blonde laying on her stomach, deepening her high voice to imitate one of a male. The doll jumped up and down in her tiny grasp, as if he were speaking to the female doll. His girlfriend, Laura explained. Carmilla couldn’t care less, she was mesmerized by her best friend. She watched as Laura bent one of her boy doll’s legs, and tilted his head up. She then moved the girl doll’s hands to cover her mouth in surprise. Carmilla’s eyes remained on Laura’s face as she watched her eyes shine brightly, as they always did when she got deeply invested in play time. Carmilla didn’t pay much attention to what the dolls were saying. She thought about how pretty her best friend was._

_Carmilla decided she was lucky to have a best friend so pretty as Laura. All the boys wanted her, and yet she chose to spend time, to play with Carmilla. Laura was friends with all the other girls, sure. But not like she was friends with Carmilla. Laura held Carmilla’s hand. Laura didn’t hold her other friends’ hands. She kissed Carmilla’s knees when she scraped them. She didn’t kiss her other friends’ knees. When Laura did things like that, it made Carmilla’s heart beat fast. Carmilla decided she liked the feeling her friend gave her._

_Light eyes met dark, and pale cheeks turned red. “Were you staring at me?” the 10 year old blonde smiled. Carmilla looked away, and scoffed._

_“No.” Carmilla rolled her eyes, and frowned at the blanket on the bed beside her. She slowly looked back down at her friend on the floor, who was still smiling. “What are you doing, anyways?”_

_“He’s proposing, duh.” Laura then deepened her voice. “Jordan, will you marry me?”_

_“Jordan is a boy’s name.” Carmilla pointed out, frowning. Laura continued to stare at her dolls. “It can be a girl’s name,” Laura said matter-of-factly. “Plus, boys can marry boys.” Laura mumbled, and they stayed silent for a while. Carmilla thought about Laura’s words. Boys can marry boys. Does that mean girls can marry girls? Can Carmilla marry Laura? Carmilla then blushed furiously at the thought, and tried to shake it out of her mind._

_“I think I want to get married when I’m older.” Laura spoke up, placing her dolls on the floor. She looked up at Carmilla, who raised her eyebrow. “What happens if you don’t find a boy to marry you?” Carmilla asked, fidgeting with the corner of the blanket. Laura paused, looking at her hands. Her face scrunched up as she thought seriously about her best friend’s question. Carmilla anxiously waited for her answer, and finally, Laura looked up._

_“Then I’ll marry you.” Laura said, as if it were the most obvious answer. Carmilla’s heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks heated up. She looked away with a scowl. “What if I don’t want to marry you?” Laura’s laughter rang in her ears. Laura’s laugh was Carmilla’s favourite._

_“15 years.” Laura stated. Carmilla looked at her again, confused._

_“15 years?” She echoed Laura. The blonde nodded. “My parents got married when they were 25. In 15 years, we’ll be 25.” Laura explained, crossing her legs in front of her. “If I don’t have a husband, and you don’t have a husband, we’ll get married, okay?” Laura asked. Carmilla nodded her agreement silently. Neither of them may have fully understood what was being promised, but Carmilla would have agreed to anything Laura said._

* * *

 

Later that fall, Carmilla moved. They never spoke again.

* * *

 

The texts started out innocently enough. Laura was in a huge rush, files and papers falling from her arms as she tried to nudge her jacket off of it’s hook, a paper cup of coffee in her mouth. A faint buzz sounded from her messenger bag, but she didn’t have the time (or arms) to look at it. Her boss was going to be angry. She was so horribly late, she wouldn’t be surprised if she got fired.

After she managed to shove the papers into her bag, and slip the jacket over her body, she clutched the cup tightly as she ran down the apartment building hallway. Furiously tapping at the elevator doors, she closed her eyes and crossed her fingers.

“Oh, please, please, _please be empty.”_ Laura chanted quietly to herself, and her eyes snapped open as she heard the elevator door slide open. Fortunately, it was empty. Breathing a sigh of relief, she sprinted into the small room. She jabbed the button over and over again for the bottom floor, and shifted her weight between her feet anxiously. The ride seemed to last forever. _I’m late. I’m late, and she’s gonna kill me._

Another buzz snapped Laura from her doomed thoughts, and she dug her cellphone out from her messy bag. A message glared at her, and her nerves calmed, only a little when she realized it wasn’t her boss.

**Unknown Number (9:36 am): Hey**

Laura sighed, shoving her phone back into her bag. She didn’t have the time to deal with prank texts or wrong numbers. The elevator doors opened, and she rushed out. Normally, she’d stop to chat to the florist that had a tiny outdoor shop set up outside the building, but she was in a rush. Hopefully, Perry would understand.

Laura pushed and shoved her way through groups of crowded people, trying to haul down a taxi. After a few minutes, a yellow cab slowly rolled up to Laura, and she flung the door open, throwing herself inside. An older man with a creepy mustache and a never-in-style hat glanced up in the mirror.

“Where to, darling?” he asked with a smirk. Laura shivered at the predatory look the man was giving her, but recited the address. When they arrived, she threw a twenty dollar bill up front, and slammed the door behind her. The coffee she had earlier had gotten cold. She was too distracted, too worried about being late that she forgot about it. Frowning, she threw it in the trash can and rushed through the doors. As soon as she entered, she was met by a disappointed voice.

“Hollis, you’re late.” Laura looked up to see her boss, the person she was trying so desperately to impress, looking down at her with a deep frown. “I expected you here 20 minutes ago.”

“I know, and I am so sorry.” Laura apologized desperately. Her boss shook her head.

“You know, Hollis. A lot of people want this job,” her boss stated, and Laura nodded her head, looking down. “You’re talented, Laura. I see great potential in you as a journalist, but don’t think that just because you’re Danny’s friend, you’ll get the job.” Mrs. Lawrence warned. “I need to know you want this job. You need to show me you want it, show me you’re dedicated. Being late show’s me the exact opposite.”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Lawrence. It won’t happen again, I swear.” Laura promised weakly, her whole body shaking anxiously under her boss’s stare. Mrs. Lawrence nodded, choosing to believe Laura.

“Okay, well then. Get to work.” Mrs. Lawrence ordered softly, then walked away, her heels clicking against the tiled floor. Laura let out a deep sigh, and walked sluggishly up a flight of stairs to where she worked. Laura wasn’t a real journalist, but it was a job she was working hard to get. She was just an intern, and Kirsch’s personal assistant. Kirsch was a journalist, and Laura could only hope to end up where he was.

“Hey hottie,” Kirsch greeted Laura, who looked exhausted. He raised an eyebrow curiously.

“I was late and Mrs.Lawrence basically threatened to find someone else for the position I’m going for.” Laura explained grimly, flopping down on a small sofa that sat beside Kirsch’s desk. Kirsch, being the positive thinker than he was, just smiled a lopsided smile.

“At least, in a way, she basically confirmed that she’s leaning towards you as her decision.” he pointed out, and Laura shrugged. Her phone buzzed in her bag again.

**Unknown Number (9:43 am): Not gonna answer, cutie?**

Laura frowned at the number, and wrote back a text.

**Laura (9:44 am): You’ve got the wrong number.**

“Besides,” Kirsch continued. “you’re friends with Danny. I’m sure she can convince mommy to give you the job.” He winked, and Laura blushed.

“Danny and I are just friends, Kirsch. Don’t look at me like that.” she tried to make her glare as menacing as possible, but Laura came to realize that she’s not a very threatening person. Kirsch just nodded, a sly grin on his lips as he turned his attention to his computer screen. Laura turned hers to her phone.

**Unknown Number (9:45 am): Oh, no. I’m sure I have the right number. This is Laura Hollis, right?**

**Unknown Number (9: 47 am): Come on, sweetheart. I promise, you know who I am. I’m not some creepy old man, I’ll tell you that much.**

Laura read the texts, and her stomach dropped. She felt sick. Who the hell was texting her? Creeped out, she shoved her phone back into her bag, and never touched it for the rest of the day.

* * *

 

The sound of Laura’s keys hitting the table echoed throughout her quiet house. She slipped her shoes off her feet, rubbing at the soreness. She glanced at her clock, which read that it was almost eight. Danny should be over any minute. Laura wandered into the kitchen, flicking the lights on as she grabbed a pot from underneath the sink. She filled it with water and placed it on her stove top to boil, then dug around for some hot chocolate powder. From the corner of the kitchen, her phone vibrated in her bag.

**Unknown Number (3) missed calls.**

**Unknown Number (6:39 pm): Sweetheart, I promise when you hear my voice, you’ll recognize me. We have something serious to talk about. You promised me.**

Laura stared at the texts. She was getting creeped out, definitely, but she’d be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t a little curious. It could just be a harmless prank, right? Nothing more. Except, the more Laura thought about it, and the longer she stared at the text, the idea that this could be some crazy killer out to get her screamed in her mind, and she threw her phone on the counter like it burnt her. With a shiver, she made her way into the livingroom to find a movie to watch.

Half an hour later, Laura and Danny were curled up on the couch, watching a movie. Danny’s arm was wrapped tightly around Laura, her fingers dancing across her bare arms. Normally, Laura would find comfort and peace when Danny did this, but all she felt was uncomfortable. Her phone hadn’t stopped vibrating every 15 minutes, and finally, Laura had enough. She sat up, shaking out of Danny’s grasp, and Danny looked at her, confused.

“What’s wrong?” the ginger asked, concern written all over her face. Laura tried to make her smile as reassuring as possible.

“I’m just going to the bathroom. I’ll be back in a minute.” Laura promised, and got up from the couch. She grabbed her phone off the counter, and went straight for the bathroom. Once she got in, she locked the door behind her, and took a deep breath. Her dad taught her all about self-protection, so even if this was a crazy killer, Laura was at least prepared. At least, that’s what she tried to convince herself as she dialed the mystery number. As soon as she heard rustling on the other end of the line, anger suddenly boiled inside her.

“Look, I don’t know who you are, creepy old dude, but if you don’t stop calling me and texting me, I swear to god.” Laura tried to sound as threatening as possible, but coming from a very small, hardly intimidating girl made it nearly impossible.

  _“Well, I certainly hope that’s not how you start all your phone calls.”_ the voice on the other end purred. Laura’s breath caught in her throat. Definitely not old, and _definitely_ not a man. The voice was low and raspy, and dare she say, _sexy._

“Uh-”

 _“Cat got your tongue, cupcake?”_ the girl asked, and Laura could hear the smirk in her voice.

“Who is this?”

“ _Nearly 20 years ago, I remember when you and I went to the beach. We were about 5 years old at the time, and it was a sunny day, not a single cloud in the sky. I sat in the sand, while you stood in the shallow end of the water, watching the minnows swim. I was building a sand castle, and a quite impressive one, might I add,”_ the girl let out a breathy laugh, and it sent shivers down Laura’s spine. She couldn’t remember any of this, but let the stranger continue. _“anyways, a few asshole boys came over, and stomped all over my castle. Just as tiny me was about to go and kick their ass, none other than Laura Hollis came over, stopped me, and promised to build a new one with me instead.”_

“I- I don’t think I remember that.” Laura admitted, frowning as she slid down the bathroom door, onto the cold floor beneath her. The girl let out a hum.

 _“How about this one. My 7th birthday party, and 2 people of the 6 that I invited showed up, but only because their parents made them. They told me they didn’t want to be there, and soon after they left, I ran up to my room and cried my eyes out. You stayed, though, and you held my hand, and rubbed my back as I cried. And you promised me that you wanted to be there. You wanted to come to my party, and you wanted to spend time with me. So, after I stopped crying, we put a movie on and built a fort.”_ the girl on the other end finished. Once again, Laura didn’t remember. The girl must have realized, and tried one last time.

 _“How about when we were 10. We were in your room, which was a baby blue, and you had a bookcase instead of a T.V like any normal 10 year old did. You were playing with dolls as I watched from your bed. You were making the boy propose to the girl, don’t you remember?”_ the girl asked, and slowly, all these memories began to rush at Laura all at once. _“You said you wanted to marry someone one day, and I asked what you would do if you didn’t find anyone to marry. You said 15 years. 15 years and if neither of us were married, we’d get married.”_

 _“Carm?”_ Laura gasped, a hand flying up to her mouth. She hadn’t heard from her childhood best friend in, well, 15 years. Laura’s eyes began to burn as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

_“So, you married, cupcake?”_


	2. Surround You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talks about poo riots, little bit of Facebook stalking, and Danny Lawrence avoiding.   
> Last chapter was titled from The Other Side- Tonight Alive  
> This chapter, Surround You- Echosmith.

* * *

 

When Laura emerged from the bathroom 10 minutes later, Danny was sitting anxiously on the edge of the couch, rubbing her hands together nervously. When she noticed Laura approaching, she stood up from her seat immediately. “Are you okay?”

“Uh, well,” Laura was about to say everything was okay, but she needed Danny out of her apartment as soon as possible. “you know, Danny, actually, I’m feeling a bit under the weather.” Laura grasped her stomach, hunching over in faux pain. Laura hated lying to Danny, but she needed her gone.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Danny asked eagerly. Laura shook her head, and tried to usher the tall ginger closer to the door.

“But, there was something I wanted to ask you-” Laura cut Danny off by letting out a fake groan and clutching harder at her stomach. Danny’s worry deepened, showing clearly on her face.

“Look, you really have to go, I feel absolutely terrible right now.” Laura twisted her face into one of disgust, and opened the door for Danny. “Okay,” Laura said quietly, more so to herself. “out you go.” She had her hand on Danny’s back, and pushed her out into the hallway. “Okay, thanks for coming over! Let’s do this again sometime!”

“But, Laura-” Danny was cut off by the slamming of Laura’s door. Once Laura heard the hesitant steps of Danny walking down the hallway, Laura rushed back into the bathroom, snatching her phone off the counter.

 _“Got rid of your company now, cupcake?”_ Carmilla’s sultry voice sounded from the phone. Laura shivered involuntarily.

“Uh, yeah.” Laura shut her bathroom light off, and made her way to the couch, flopping down. She draped a thin blanket over herself, and turned the volume down on her T.V. Her mind suddenly came up blank as they sat in silence. Carmilla let out a breathy laugh on the other end of the line. Laura bit her lip.

 _“So, what has Laura Hollis been up to these past 15 years?”_ Carmilla questioned, and Laura noticed the sound of trees, or something similar, rustling in the background. _“Have you opened up that little bakery you always wanted?”_ Carmilla’s tone was teasing.

“No,” Laura laughed lightly, shaking her head.

_“Well, what do you do?”_

“Well, I-” Laura hesitated. Should she lie to impress Carmilla? _Wait, why am I concerned about impressing her?_ Laura tried to push those thoughts out of her mind. “I… I’m a journalist.” _Journalist, personal assistant, unpaid intern. Same thing._

 _“Ahh, a journalist? I’m not surprised.”_ Carmilla purred, her voice light and playful. Laura could hear the smile in her voice.

“You’re not?” Laura frowned. They hadn’t talked in 15 years. Laura could have changed. For some reason, Laura began to pout.

 _“Sweetheart, you had a bookcase instead of a television, and you made me do news reports with you in you room.”_ Carmilla laughed, and Laura blushed. Thankfully, Carmilla couldn’t see.

“Yeah, well.” Laura shrugged to herself. She guessed it wasn’t that surprising. “So, where do you work?”

Carmilla paused. _“I don’t.”_

“You don’t work?”

 _“Nope.”_ Carmilla popped the “P”.Laura frowned.

“So,” Laura chewed her bottom lip. “does that mean like, your boyfriend works?”

 _“No,”_ Camilla laughed, and Laura let out a breath she had been holding. _“No boyfriend. Or girlfriend, for that matter. If I had one, I wouldn’t have called you, cupcake.”_

“You wouldn’t have?” Laura felt a pang in her chest at Carmilla’s words. “Not even to reconnect with an old friend?”

 _“Relax, cupcake. I was joking.”_  Carmilla said, amused. Laura let out a small breath of relief. She then hesitated to reply, and Carmilla seemed to have noticed. _“Alright, spit it out.”_

“What? Oh,” Laura paused, unsure if she should continue. How did she ask without sounding desperate? “I think that we should get together sometime soon.” There, that wasn’t so bad.

 _“Don’t you think that’s a bit soon, creampuff?”_ Carmilla’s voice dropped to a lower tone, and Laura shivered, her eyes growing wide.

“No! That’s not what I meant, I-” Laura panicked. “I meant, like, for coffee, or-  something.”

 _“Well,”_ Carmilla hummed. _“You’d have to wait a few days. I’m in Africa right now.”_ she said nonchalantly.

“Wait, what?” Laura exclaimed. She shifted slightly on the couch so that she was laying on her stomach. Her feet slowly kicked back in forth in the air. “You’re in Africa?”

 _“Yeah, I travel. I don’t think I’ve stayed in one place for too long.”_ Carmilla explained, and it made Laura smile. Carmilla had always been a bit of a free soul. Before Laura could ask about it,  Carmilla yawned. _“But, maybe I’ll tell you about it some other time, how does that sound?”_

“Oh,” Laura tried not to sound too disappointed. “Yeah, sure.”

 _“Sorry, sweetheart. It’s 4:00 am right now, though, and I’d like to go to sleep.”_ Laura smacked herself on the forehead.

“Oh god, of course!” Laura squeezed her eyes shut.

 _“You didn’t know, cupcake.”_ Carmilla yawned again. _“Good night, Laura.”_

“Good night, Carm.” Laura whispered, and the phone went dead. Laura laid there for a moment, staring at her phone. The days events had been crazy, and overwhelming, and weird, but she couldn’t seem to wipe the silly grin off her face.

It wasn’t until Laura was laying awake in her dark room that Carmilla’s registered in her mind. _“No boyfriend. Or girlfriend, for that matter. If I had one, I wouldn’t have called you, cupcake_.”  Laura stared at her ceiling, grinning from ear to ear. Laura figured those words could only mean a few things. One, Carmilla was definitely single. Two, she was interested in Laura. Right?

* * *

 

“Don’t quote me on this, but a little birdy told me that Danny has a very important question to ask you.” Kirsch slouched in his chair, a grin on his face. It slowly fell, though, as he watched the small blonde type quickly on her phone.

**Laura (10:03 am): Poo riots?**

**Carmilla (10:05 am): Poo riots. Lots of them.**

Laura giggled to herself, then looked up at Kirsch, who just stared at her with his eyebrow raised. Laura’s cheeks reddened as she clutched her phone defensively. _“What?”_

“Texting Danny?” He asked amusedly. Laura shook her head.

“No, Carmilla.” Laura bit her lip. Kirsch’s eyebrows bunched together in confusion.

“Who’s Carmilla?”

“She’s a childhood friend.” Laura sat up on the couch, pushing messy stacks of paper to the side. “I haven’t seen her in 15 years, and we just recently started talking again.” She couldn’t fight the smile that crept it’s way onto her face. Kirsch frowned for a moment.

“If you guys haven’t talked, do you even know how she looks?” He asked. He did make a good point. Laura had absolutely no idea how Carmilla looked. Laura liked to think that she wasn’t that shallow to think that looks were everything, but it wouldn’t hurt if Carmilla was as attractive as that voice. Laura shook her head.

“I guess I never thought of how she looked.” Laura shrugged. Kirsch shook his head with a slight smile, then spun around in his chair to face this computer. After a bit of clicking and typing, he glanced over at Laura.

“What’s her last name?” He asked.

“Um, well when we were younger, her last name was Karnstein. I’m not necessarily sure if that’s still it, though.” If she were honest, Laura hadn’t thought of any of this. Kirsch nodded, and turned back to his desktop. Laura held her breath.

“Um,” Kirsch said hesitantly, then sighed. “Sorry, hottie. I can’t find anything.” Laura looked down at her hands in disappointment, but then internally face-palmed herself when she remembered that, although a journalist, Kirsch was the worst at spelling. She got up from off the couch, and leaned over Kirsch’s shoulder. He had typed in _“Mircalla Carnstien.”_ He didn't even get her first name right.

“Dammit, Kirsch, you idiot.” She rolled her eyes, and stole the keyboard from him. In the Facebook search box, Laura typed in Carmilla’s name. Multiple results appeared, with some not so nice, and some average. Kirsch hovered his mouse over a few options, but Laura shook her head, until he hovered over one with a profile picture that looked like one that would have been taken in a safari.

“That one!” Laura pointed eagerly to the profile, and Kirsch clicked on it. Both of their eyes grew wide. The picture was of a girl leaning against a single tree in the glaring sun, a full grown male lion sitting at her feet with a predatory look at the camera. The girl had a smirk on her face, with an defined eyebrow raised. Her facial features were sharp, and Laura found herself biting her lip. The shirt she wore stopped midway down her stomach, revealing a thin stomach with a hint of abs. The shorts she wore could barely be called shorts, and her legs were strong and slightly muscular. She was pale, despite being in the blazing sun. The fact that a full grown lion, possibly wild, was sitting at her feet seemed to not faze her. The girl had a certain gleam in her dark eyes, and Laura was convinced that this was the Carmilla she used to know.

**Camilla (10:28 am): Did my talk of poop riots scare you away?**

The text snapped Laura out of her trance, and she blinked at her phone. Who would have known Carmilla grew up to be so _hot._ Laura knew Carmilla was pretty from the moment she met her years ago, but _wow_. Kirsch seemed to be thinking the same idea.

“Wow, Carm- Carmsexy?” He stuttered, eyes wide. Laura bit into her lip harder, and sent Carmilla a text.

**Laura (10:29 am): Sorry, something came up.**

It wasn’t a lie. The picture of Carmilla was definitely distracting. Kirsch began to click through more of her pictures, and Laura noticed that in the majority of them, she wore the same smirk, eyebrow raised expression. Laura couldn’t deny that it was hot. Kirsch leaned back in his chair, and stared at Laura.

“This is who you’re talking to right now?” Kirsch asked in disbelief, and Laura nodded. She was slightly offended that Kirsch seemed so surprised that she was talking to such a hot girl, but then again, she was also confused as to how she was talking to such a hot girl. “Wow.”

“‘Wow’ is right.” Laura nodded.

**Camilla (10:30 am): Oh, do you need me to leave you alone right now?**

**Laura (10:32 am): No! It’s okay.**

“What about Danny?” Kirsch asked, and if Laura were being honest, she had kind of forgotten about Danny.

“What, Carmilla and I are just _talking_. And Danny and I are _friends_ , Kirsch.” Laura huffed, and Kirsch shrugged.

“Well, dibs on Summer Psycho then.” Kirsch grinned with a wink, and Laura scoffed.

“Danny hates you, you know that.” Kirsch just shrugged again.

**Camilla (10:33 am): Alright, cupcake.**

**Laura (10:37 am): So, when are you coming back from Africa?**

**Carmilla (10:38 am): In about a week.**

Laura frowned. She wouldn't get to see Carmilla for another week. But who said Carmilla even wanted to see Laura? And Laura doesn't even know exactly where Carmilla would be going back to.

**Laura (10:40 am): Like, you'll be coming to Toronto?**

Laura chewed the inside of her lip nervously. Kirsch had turned his attention away from Laura, and was typing at his computer, occasionally glancing down at words messily scrawled across a crumpled sheet of lined paper. Laura sighed. She knew she'd have to go in and proof read everything Kirsch wrote before even thinking of bringing it to Mrs.Lawrence. Laura vowed to never make that mistake again. It ended rather messily.

**Carmilla (10:41 am): Yes, cupcake. I don't stay there often, or for too long, but I do have a house in the Toronto area.**

Laura grinned at the words that appeared on her screen. Laura would see Carmilla in a week.

**Laura (10:42 am): Great!**

Laura glanced up at the time on the clock on her phone. The time read that it was still early, and Laura sighed. She just wanted to go home, and maybe hear Carmilla's voice again. Laura couldn't exactly pinpoint why, but that voice was the best thing to ever grace her ears.

"Hey Laur, wanna go downstairs and get us some coffee? I could really use it right now." Kirsch pushed up the thin glasses on his nose. Laura would tease Kirsch about them, until she had to get glasses so that she could read. Laura nodded, and shoved her phone into her pocket, making her way downstairs.

A low hum of conversation buzzed throughout the downstairs area, with talk about a new story to publish. Everyone's desk had messy sheets of paper scrawled across their surface, occasionally spilling off onto the floor. The coffee machine table sat relatively clear, and no one was there. Laura made a beeline to the table, hoping to get in and out as quickly as possible before-

"Laura, hey." Danny smiled, sliding up next to Laura. Laura squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and plastered a fake smile over her mouth.

"Danny, hey!" Laura muttered, a little too cheerfully. Danny slid her hand across Laura's back. The touch felt a bit uncomfortable.

"Glad to see you're feeling a bit better." Danny smiled, and her hand retreated from Laura's back. Danny poured herself a cup of coffee, dropping some sugar and cream into it. She stirred it slowly with a straw, and glanced down at Laura. She suddenly looked slightly nervous. "So, I wanted to talk to you about something." Danny looked down into her cup of coffee, and Laura's eyes shot open. She knew where this was going. In a rush, Laura put cream and sugar into her coffee (Kirsch liked his black) and tried to rush towards the stairs.

"Sorry, Kirsch _really_ needs his coffee right now. It's life threatening, he may die!" Laura exclaimed dramatically, and Danny frowned, following her.

"But, Laura-"

"Sorry Danny!" Laura flashed up the stairs, leaving a confused Danny behind.


	3. Sweet Perfection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura calls Carmilla at the wrong time of day, goes on a date with Danny, and finds out Carmilla is on her way to Toronto.

_"Cupcake, isn't it 5 am over there?"_ Carmilla's amused voice echoed quietly in Laura's ear. It made her smile. She nuzzled deeper into her mess of blankets and pillows, the comfort of heat hugging her tightly. Birds chirped occasionally, and it was barely beginning to lighten up outside.

"Yeah, it is." Laura whispered, her voice still heavy with sleep. Carmilla laughed on the other line.

 _"You know, when I said to call me at 9, I meant 9 your time, not mine."_ Laura felt stupid. Of course, that's what Carmilla meant. What type of person in their right mind calls someone at 5 am? Apparently Laura.

"Oh."

 _"You should go back to sleep, sweetheart. It's early."_ Carmilla's voice was soothing, like a warm hug on a cold day. Laura closed her eyes, and smiled.

"No, it's okay." She yawned. Laura tried desperately to fight off the sleep threatening to take over, but couldn't help but fall victim.

_"Well, then-"_

Laura was softly snoring.

\-------------------

The flow of the waves comforted her as they crashed gently against the shoreline. The sun shone down in the blue, cloudless sky, and she sat in the sand, letting it slip through her fingers. She had been sitting there for hours, alone on the beach with nothing but her thoughts. Her thoughts drifted to a certain blonde.

Although they just reconnected, it seemed like they still knew each other their whole lives. Laura still spoke to Carmilla like she was the most important person in her life, and it hurt to know that she once was. Carmilla wanted to be that again. She wanted to feel the way she used to with Laura. And maybe she wouldn't ever feel that with Laura again. Maybe it was a long shot, but it couldn't hurt to try.

Carmilla glanced down at the phone that sat on her thigh. It had been a few hours since Carmilla told Laura to go back to sleep. Part of her wished she didn't, though, so she could still hear that voice. She sighed, and gazed across the water. What she wouldn't kill to have that tiny blonde beside her.

\--------------

Laura glanced groggily at the alarm clock that sat on her desk. 12:05 am blinked back in a glaring red, and Laura groaned, nestling deeper into her bed. She had the day off, but she planned on trying to get up early. That definitely did not happen.

Her bedroom was still dark from the curtains covering her windows, but the light threatening to shine through the cracks on the side dimly lit the room. Her hand slid across the bed underneath her blankets, seeking her phone. She had a missed call and one text.

**One missed call: Danny <3 (10:15 am)**

**Danny <3 (10:17 am): WANNA do something today?**

**Danny <3 (10:17 am): wanna***

Laura groaned, rolling over and shoving her face deeper into her pillow. She had absolutely no desire to get out of bed, and honestly, was a little sad she didn't have any texts from Carmilla.

Her and Carmilla had been talking constantly for the past few days, and Laura had loved every moment of it. She was almost positive there was a bit of… _flirting?_ She couldn’t be absolutely sure, but she hoped. Thinking about the mysterious brunette made her feel giddy.

Laura rolled out of bed, sending Carmilla a “good morning” text, then slugged her way to her bathroom. Her phone buzzed almost immediately.

**Carmilla (12:10 am): Good evening, cupcake. It is 6 pm over here in Cape Town.**

**Danny <3 (12:09 am): I was thinking lunch, maybe, if you’re awake? Text me back ASAP.**

Laura sighed, her fingers hovering over Danny's text. She felt bad for ignoring and avoiding Danny lately. The tall ginger didn't deserve to be ignored, so Laura finally replied.

**Laura <3 (12:12 pm): Sure! We could do dinner tonight.**

She then turned her attention to Carmilla.

**Laura (12:13 pm): Oh, right! So what are you up to?**

Laura set her phone down on the counter, and stared at herself in the mirror. She began to feel guilty. It wasn't like she was dating either of them, but she felt like maybe she shouldn't be talking to both of them in the way that she was. Laura signed, rubbing her face, then brushed her teeth, trying to forget about the guilt.

On days off, Laura often threw on a hoodie, put her hair up in a careless bun, and went downstairs to visit Perry at her flower shop. Today was no exception.

"Perry." Laura greeted the curly haired ginger as she walked up to her stand. Perry looked pleasantly surprised to see Laura.

"Oh, good afternoon, Laura! It's good to see you." She smiled wholeheartedly, and pulled out a stool for Laura to sit. Laura slouched down on the stool, but then remembered when Perry hassled her about her posture, and sat up more straight.

"So, how's it been?" Laura gestured towards the stand. Perry frowned slightly.

"It's uh- it's been pretty dead today, but I'm hoping it'll pick up soon." Perry nodded to herself, then looked up and smiled at Laura. Laura just smiled, and nodded, too. They sat in a comfortable silence, and Laura stuck her hands in her pockets, looking for her phone. Which she had left in her bathroom. Shit.

"Hey, Perry." Laura spoke up, catching the ginger's attention. "I think I'm gonna go back upstairs, maybe do some cleaning. I'll talk to you later?"

"Oh, of course! You have a great day, Laura." Perry smiled softly, and nobody could ever not smile back when Perry smiled. Waving, Laura retreated back into her building.

For the whole day, Laura lazed around on her couch, watching Netflix. Not a single thing had been cleaned, and instead she spent the day texting Carmilla. She didn't neglect to answer Danny's texts, but she couldn't deny she was less interested in answering them. By the 7th episode, season 4 of Glee, Laura checked the time. It read 5 pm, and Danny wanted to do supper around 6:30. Sighing because leaving the couch was the last thing she wanted to do, Laura rolled off the couch, flopping down on the floor, and eventually got up, walking sluggishly to her room.

Once she put on a deep blue dress (she wasn't sure if Danny wanted her to dress up or dress casual), she applied a light coat of make-up, and went back to her living room to finish her episode.

**Carmilla (5:45 pm): So, what are you up to now?**

Laura bit her lip. She didn't want Carmilla to know she was going on a date (was it even a date?) Or... Maybe she did.

**Laura (5:46 pm): I'm going out to dinner with a friend.**

Laura's thumb hovered over the send button as she thought about it. What was she doing trying to make Carmila jealous? What if it just pushed Carmila away? Or it could make Carmilla want her more (Laura wasn't even sure if Carmilla really wanted her to begin with.) _Do I wanna risk that just to see a jealous Carmilla?_

Laura pressed send.

**Carmilla (5:56 pm): Like, as in a date?**

She couldn't be sure if that was Carmilla being jealous, but she didn't miss how it took Carmilla ten minutes to reply as opposed to the usual minute or two.

**Laura (5:57 pm): Maybe? I'm not sure, to be honest.**

Laura wasn't lying. Danny never specified if it was a date or not. Laura glanced at the time again, and figured she'd better get going. It took her about 20 minutes to get to the Gladstone Hotel Café, where Danny wanted to go. Her phone buzzed.

**Carmilla (5:59 pm): Oh, well. Have fun then, cupcake.**

Laura frowned at the texts. She didn't want to stop talking to Carmilla just yet.

**Laura (6:00 pm): We can still text :(**

Shoving her phone quickly in her handbag, she grabbed her keys off of their hook, locked her door, and hurried off to her car.

After the twenty or so minute drive, Laura fished her phone out of her handbag. Her dad had told her multiple times it was dangerous to text and drive, and even made a PowerPoint and Prezi to prove his point.

**Carmilla (6:01 pm): Well, if you insist.**

**Carmilla (6:05 pm): How does lunch sound when I come back?**

Laura's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when she read over Carmilla's text. Walking into the busy café, Laura sent back a text.

**Laura (6:27 pm): Of course! That sounds great!**

Laura then bit her lip, and idea popping into her mind. Nervously, her thumb hovered over the send button.

**Laura (6:27 pm): Are you buying? ;p**

"Laura, hey!" Danny's voice snapped Laura's eyes away from her phone. Her eyes landed on the tall ginger standing near a small table, and Laura had to admit, Danny looked great in the dark, dark red dress she was wearing. The two probably looked a little too formal for a casual café, but they couldn't be bothered to care. Laura smiled, walking over to meet the girl.

"Danny, you look great." Laura smiled truthfully, sitting down in the chair Danny pulled out. She was always a gentleman to Laura.

"Thanks," Danny blushed, then gestured towards the food sitting in front of Laura. "I went ahead and ordered for you. I hope you don't mind."

"No, no, thank you." Danny smiled, and took a sip of her drink, looking across the café. Laura looked down at her phone.

**Carmilla (6:28 pm): Hmm, well. It depends.**

**Laura (6:30 pm): On?**

"So," Danny started. "I'm not supposed to give anything away, or my mother would probably kill me," Danny laughed softly. "but, I overheard her talking about the journalist position, and your name came up." Danny smiled slyly, and Laura's eyes widened, a huge smile stretching across her face. Danny always loved the way Laura's eyes lit up.

 _"Seriously?"_ She exclaimed, then covered her mouth quickly when she realized how loud she was. She looked around, catching a few people glancing at her, then blushed with embarrassment. Danny shrugged, picking at her food.

"I'm not certain. I think my mother wants to wait a little longer to make her decision." Danny said after chewing the food in her mouth. Laura nodded, still grinning. She was so happy to know that she might get that job. It was like a dream come true.

**Carmilla (6:31 pm): Well, on two things. First off, are you on a date right now?**

Laura wanted to say no, but she was almost certain that Danny had intended for this to be a date. Still, Laura lied.

**Laura (6:34 pm): No. What's the next condition?**

Danny frowned as she watched Laura glance down, most likely at the phone in her hand. Danny definitely hadn't missed the way Laura was ignoring her the past little while, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out why. Had it been something she done? She surely hoped not. She tried her hardest to be the best she could for Laura, but maybe her best wasn't enough. Danny smacked herself mentally _. You're a Lawrence. Lawrence's don't give up that easily, quit thinking like that._

**Carmilla (6:35 pm): Okay, secondly, it'd have to be a date, because I only pay on dates.**

Laura blushed furiously upon reading the text, and shoved it underneath her thigh. She looked up at Danny, who seemed a little distracted.

"What are you thinking about?" Laura asked, twirling her fork around the spaghetti on her plate. Danny looked up, and raised her eyebrow in question.

"Oh, it's nothing." Danny shrugged. "How's Perry? I haven't been able to see her all that much."

"Perry's doing great! Her flower shop... Not so much." Danny shook her head, smiling.

"You know, I always thought she should have opened a bakery instead. She was always so amazing at baking." Laura nodded her head in agreement.

**Laura (6:44 pm): Sounds like a date, then.**

**Carmilla (6:45 pm): Can't wait.**

Neither could Laura.

Laura and Danny's conversation carried on casually, with talks of Perry's sick cat, Danny's annoying neighbour, and fighting over T.V. shows. It was exactly how it used to be before Danny started to get pushed away.

**Carmilla (6:46 pm): How does sometime tomorrow sound?**

**Laura (7:25 pm): Sorry for the late reply, but you'll be home tomorrow?!?**

Laura's heart was suddenly pounding in her chest, and her palms grew slightly sweaty. Her body felt tingly as she read over the text again. Carmilla would be back tomorrow. She would be going out for lunch with Carmilla tomorrow. On a date. Lunch date. With Carmilla. Tomorrow. Oh god.

Their waitress walked up to their table, her smile being way too cheerful and perky for this time of day. "Are you girls ready to pay?"

"Yeah," Danny smiled, and Laura didn't miss the way the waitress kept her eyes on Danny. For some reason, Laura didn't feel as jealous as she should have. "I'll pay."

"Wait, we aren't splitting the check?" Laura questioned, frowning. Danny smiled slightly.

"No, silly. I'm buying you dinner. As in, like, a date." Danny laughed, shaking her head, and the waitress's smile faltered slightly. Laura smiled to herself.

When they were done, Danny had insisted on walking Laura to her car. They stood outside in the cool night's air, and the city lights shine down on them. Danny decided Laura had never looked so beautiful.

"I had a really nice time, Laura." Danny started, and Laura couldn't help but think of how cliché that line was. Still, she smiled.

"Yeah, me too." Laura agreed, then her eyes widened slightly as she watched Danny close hers, leaning in. Laura let Danny's lips press lightly against hers, and laughed nervously when Danny pulled away. Danny then looked at her shoes, a sudden wave of nerves washing over her.

"So, I was thinking, you know, if you wanted to uh- you know, like," Danny bit her lip, stuttering over her words. "Be my girlfriend or something?" She asked hopefully, looking up at Laura with shining eyes. Laura felt an overwhelming sense of guilt, looking into those hopeful eyes.

"Danny... Can I think about it?" Laura said as nicely as she could, hopefully not hurting the ginger, although Danny's face still fell. She looked back down at her feet.

"Oh. Yeah, no. Of course!" She tried to smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. Laura frowned, looking down too.

"Well, I'll call you later then?" She asked, and Danny nodded. Silently, Laura got into her car, watching from the rear view mirror as Danny walked down the sidewalk to her own car parked not too far away.

**Carmilla (7:27 pm): Well, I'm already on my way back, but yes, that's the plan.**

**Laura (8:02 pm): Then yeah, of course! I'd love to go on a lunch date with you tomorrow.**

**Carmilla (8:05 pm): See you tomorrow then, cupcake.**

Although Laura felt incredibly guilty and upset that she made Danny look and feel like a puppy who had been kicked, she couldn't help but feel giddy about tomorrow, and drove off with a smile on her face.


	4. Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Airports and thunderstorms.

If there was one thing Carmilla hated the most about traveling, it was the damn airport. She hated how crowded it was, how little people seemed to care about personal space, and even the damn staff.

Carmilla rubbed her eyes sleepily as she dragged her luggage down the airport stairs. Jet lag wasn't something new to her, but damn, it got her every single time. It also didn't help that she spent a few hours trapped on a plain beside a woman who had way too many tiny, screaming children. Ugh, just the thought of them made her migraine come back. 

Carmilla decided to try and fight the tiredness by stopping at a near by Tim Hortons. The line was fairly long, and Carmilla groaned. Patience wasn’t her strongest trait. She decided to seek out her phone to pass time.

**Carmilla (7:03 pm): Hey cupcake, just at the airport now.**

**Laura (7:04 pm): I’m so excited to see you!**

**Laura (7:05 pm): Like, I mean, it’s been 15 years.**

Carmilla laughed softly at Laura’s panic. She was about to send a reply back, but was interrupted.

“Ma’am.” Carmilla’s head snapped up, and she glared. She grumpily shoved her phone into her pocket, and looked back up at the woman behind the counter. She was attractive; tall, blonde, skinny, and maybe, in another life (and mood), Carmilla would have flirted with her.

“I’ll get an extra large double double.” Carmilla muttered her order, and let out a yawn. She quickly paid, and made her way out of the small joint, blowing on the hot coffee. She sat down at one of the seats in the airport, and shut her eyes tightly, pinching the bridge of her nose. The airport was loud and noisy, and filled with rotten, loud kids. Carmilla despised kids.

**Carmilla (7:22 pm): Me too.**

As soon as Carmilla sent the text, her phone began to vibrate furiously.

"Hello?" Carmilla answered, and was greeted by a familiar tone.

_"Your car is waiting outside the airport, Miss Karnstein."_

"Thanks, Laf. I'll be right there." Carmilla's grouchy tone turned lighter when she spoke to her driver, and only friend, LaFontaine. She hung up the phone after saying a quick goodbye, and hurried as quickly as she could out of the hellhole that was the airport.

Parked outside, as promised, was a sleek, shiny black car. Much to Carmilla's pleasure, LaFontaine opted to not bring the limo this time. They knew Carmilla hated it. LaFontaine was standing outside the vehicle beside the passenger side, and opened the door for Carmilla. Carmilla rolled her eyes at the gesture.

"You don't have to do that, LaFontaine. I'm not my parents." Carmilla said bitterly, and LaFontaine merely shrugged.

"Of course, Miss Karnstein." LaFontaine still held the door for Carmilla as she got in, and shut it behind her. They then walked around the car to their side, and got in.

"So, how has the apartment been?" Carmilla asked as LaFontaine drove away from the airport. She had been anxious to know how her small apartment had been kept, and more importantly, her animals. LaFontaine kept their eyes on the road.

"Casey and Finnegan have been good. Same goes for Ella." LaFontaine caught the underlying question, and smiled at the look of relief on Carmilla's face. "They miss you."

"Yeah, I miss them too." Carmilla sighed, and it made her even more anxious to get home. She stared out the window and watched as grey, stormy clouds swirled around in the sky above, and it made her feel uneasy.

"How was your trip, Miss?" LaFontaine asked, and Carmilla looked over at them, eyebrow raised.

"LaFontaine, you _know_ I've asked you to stop calling me that. We've known each other for how long?" Carmilla asked, and her driver shrugged.

"About 13 years or so?" LaFontaine guessed, and Carmilla nodded.

"So you can at least call me by my first name." Carmilla said, and LaFontaine nodded their head. "And my trip was lovely. Lots of nice sights in Africa, Laf. It was amazing. Did you see the picture I posted on Facebook with the lion?" Carmilla turned to LaFontaine with a grin, practically bouncing in her seat. LaFontaine smiled in amusement.

"I did." They nodded with a polite smile, and turned into the parking lot for Carmilla's apartment building. LaFontaine couldn't understand why Carmilla didn't just live in the huge mansion on the vastly large property her parents owned, but Carmilla had insisted on living in a small apartment. LaFontaine parked, and turned the car off, immediately getting out to help Carmilla out, but she already got out herself.

"Could you help me carry a few things?" Carmilla asked as the car's trunk slowly lifted up. LaFontaine nodded, and grabbed the heavier suitcases.

"That's what I'm here for." LaFontaine said, shutting the trunk, not missing the eye roll from Carmilla. As they walked to the front door of the building, LaFontaine glanced worriedly at the sky. "Are you going to be okay, Carmilla?"

 _"Yes."_ Carmilla snapped defensively. She'd rather not be reminded of how angry the sky looked. LaFontaine frowned, but silently followed after Carmilla.

After a short elevator ride, they arrived at Carmilla's room, and Carmilla could hear the desperate whines and growls overpowering the needy meows behind the door. She couldn't fight the huge grin on her face. LaFontaine unlocked the door, allowing Carmilla in, and immediately, Carmilla dropped all her bags and went straight to her dogs' room. They were both locked up in their own, huge cages, and we both desperately clawing at the bars.

"Oh, I missed you guys." Carmilla cooed as she unlocked both of the cages, and was attacked with sloppy tongues by both her Rottweiler and German Shepherd. Ella swatted at both of the dogs, and scurried her way onto Carmilla's lap, purring loudly.

* * *

  
  
Thunder boomed, and lightning crashed, shaking Carmilla's entire apartment building. Huddled up next to her on the couch were her anxious animals, cowering beside her. Carmilla jumped at every roll of thunder, and squeaked after every snap of lightning. The storm brightened her already lit house, which made Carmilla a slight bit better, but the whole storm still made her uneasy. Carmilla hated storms. Maybe hate wasn't a strong enough word. She loathed thunderstorms, and honestly, Carmilla would rather swim in a tank full of piranhas in a full body suit made of meat, than sit through a thunderstorm. Well, maybe not. But she still resented thunderstorms.   
  
The power suddenly blanked out, and Carmilla let out a terrified squeal. _Oh come on, Karnstein. It's just a storm. It's just the dark. It's nothing._ Yet Carmilla's eyes still darted around the room, seeking out any potential threats that may lurk in the dark.   
  
Carmilla knew her fear, in all reality, was stupid, but she's travelled the world enough to know that they weren't unreasonable. She also knew from experience.   
  
_**Ring, ring.**_  
  
"Jesus Christ." Carmilla clutched her pounding heart. Carmilla slowly and cautiously picked up her phone, expecting to see LaFontaine's name lighting up her screen, but much to her pleasure, it was Laura.   
  
"Hey," Carmilla greeted through clenched teeth, her breath shaky.   
  
_"H...ey?"_ Laura said hesitantly. _"Are you okay?"_   
  
"Who, me? What, yeah, of course." _No. I'm sitting in my damn living room, shaking like a fucking baby because of a stupid storm and the dark._

 _"Oh, you just sounded a little shaky."_  Laura said.  
  
"No, I'm alright."  Carmilla inhaled deeply, then exhaled. Laura stayed silent for a moment.   
  
_"Are you sure?"_   
  
" _Yes_ , cupcake." Carmilla stressed, and she tried her hardest to not grow impatient with Laura, but this damn storm was affecting her mood.   
  
_"Okay."_ Laura mumbled after a few seconds. _"So, is your power out?"_   
  
"Yes." Carmilla said quietly. Carmilla let out a yawn that soon turned into a helpless yelp as the sky crackled.   
  


_"Carm, are you sure you're okay? That noise you just made sounded like an injured animal."_

"It was my T.V."

 _"You just said your power is out."_ Laura deadpanned. _Shit._

"Uh, Laura, I'm so sorry, but I've gotta let you go. My phone is dying, and-" Carmilla hung up, clutching her phone to her chest. There is no way in hell Carmilla is going to let Laura know she's terrified of the dark and storms.

The flash of lightning illuminating the room reminded Carmilla that she was alone. She sighed, and dialed a number on her phone.

"Actually, can you come over?"

 

* * *

 

 

A few hours later, the power was still out, but at least she wasn't alone.

"Ma'am, you do realize it's nearly 2 am, right?" LaFontaine rubbed their eyes sleepily as they slugged their way into Carmilla's apartment. Carmilla rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she mumbled, and flopped down on her couch. Her animals had gotten over the storm, and wandered off around the apartment, probably to sleep. LaFontaine sat beside Carmilla, and frowned sadly.

"Are you okay?" They asked, and Carmilla knew they had nothing but the best intentions, but she was getting sick of LaFontaine asking.

"Yes, LaFontaine. I'm o- _kay_." Carmilla squeezed her eyes shut, and brought her knees up to her chest. LaFontaine knew how Carmilla got when she was scared. She got angry, guarded, irritated, and LaFontaine eventually learnt that it was best to leave them alone about that. Carmilla's phone lit up, and Carmilla didn't notice because her eyes were still shut tightly. LaFontaine noticed, though.

"Um, Miss, who's Laura?"

"What?" Carmilla's eyes snapped opened, and immediately found her phone in LaFontaine's hand. She snatched her phone from LaFontaine's hand with a glare, and tucked into the couch cushion beside her. "No one."

LaFontaine eyed Carmilla suspiciously, but nodded. LaFontaine knew that if Carmilla wanted to talk about it, she would. "Okay."

"She's... A friend." Carmilla said slowly. "She's someone I used to know a long time ago, and I just got in touch with her."

"Wait... as in, _15 years,_ Laura?" LaFontaine grinned, and Carmilla rolled her eyes.

"Yes." Carmilla muttered, and opened Laura's text.

**Laura (1:46 am): Well, since your phone died**

**Laura (1:47 am): Oops, I didn't mean to press send. Since your phone is dead, goodnight and good morning. :)**

Carmilla sighed, and tucked it away.

"Although this is none of my business, are you not going to text her back?" LaFontaine frowned, gesturing to the phone. Carmilla shook her head.

"She thinks my phone died." She bit her lip, and LaFontaine sighed, rolling their eyes.

"You said that because you didn't want her to know, didn't you." Carmilla nodded, and stared at her hands that sat in her lap. LaFontaine couldn't blame her, really. They wouldn't want their love interest knowing, either. They decided to move on to a different topic. "Tell me about her?"

"Uh," Carmilla's cheeks started to heat up, and she smiled slightly. "Well, I don't know. We haven't had time to meet up in person yet." Carmilla looked up at LaFontaine, who only nodded for her to continue. "But, I do know that her father is with the FBI, and her mother was never around. She likes hot chocolate and cookies and strawberries dipped in chocolate." Carmilla bit her lip, trying to figure out how to get everything out. "She used to have a pet duck when she was younger, and she's lactose intolerant. She really likes Doctor Who. She's a journalist, who goes under the name Brody Kirsch, because _'people in this sexist world are more likely to read a man's article over a woman's'_ " Carmilla did her best impression of Laura, and LaFontaine laughed lightly. LaFontaine didn't miss the way the thunder and lightning screamed outside, but Carmilla didn't seem to notice anymore. Carmilla rolled her eyes. "She also like's _'long walks on the beach.'_ "

"She sounds lovely." LaFontaine smiled, and Carmilla nodded.

"She is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot twist: Carmilla didn't invite Laura over. :P  
> Comment's are always appreciated.  
> Come With Me will be (for the most part), updated every Saturday.  
> You can find me at MurderingHerForChristmas.tumblr.com.  
> Also... why exactly does Carmilla hate thunderstorms? Hmm.
> 
> (This chapter was titled after Storm- Lifehouse)


	5. Coffee And Cigatettes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crazy cat lady, annoying waitress, and jealous lunch dates.

Laura woke with a start to the sound of heavy banging on her front door. Groggily, she stumbled out of bed, tripping over various objects on her floor until she reached the door. She unlocked the padlock on her door, and was met by a very stressed looking Ms. Halverson.  **  
**

"Oh dear, I am so sorry to wake you up earlier than you have to, but I can't find my dear Vinny." Ms. Halverson looked to be nearly in tears, and Laura had absolutely no idea what to do. **  
**

"Uh... Where was the last place you saw him?" She asked, rubbing the back of her neck. Ms. Halverson  nervously rubbed her hands together.  **  
**

“Well, see, I opened the door, and I-I must not have noticed him run out, and-” **  
**

“Ms. Halverson,” Laura said softly, wrapping her hands lightly around the woman’s to try and calm her nerves. “Don’t worry, we’ll find him.” Ms. Halverson let out a sigh of relief, and nodded.  **  
**

“Yes, I’m sorry. I just worry.” Ms. Halverson admitted. “It’s hard to keep track of them all.” **  
**

“Well, I bet. All 42 of them.” Laura laughed hollowly, but shut her apartment door behind her. “Let’s go look for Vinny, I bet he’s with Perry.” **  
**

“Oh, you know, I never even thought of that! He does love her and those flowers.” Ms. Halverson agreed, and followed Laura down the stairs. “Hey, Laura?” **  
**

“Yes?” She turned around to look at the woman. **  
**

“What ever happened to Danny? I haven’t seen her around lately, and I knew you were pretty close.” Ms. Halverson asked innocently, and Laura began to feel a little sick. She still hadn't given Danny an answer. **  
**

“Uh… Oh, look!” Laura pointed out as they got outside. Sitting nicely on a stool beside Perry was a small, black Vinny. Perry stood beside him, petting him absentmindedly. Vinny’s ears perked up when he heard them approach, and he meowed loudly. Perry turned around. **  
**

“Oh, Ms. Halverson! I noticed Vinny wandering around out here and let him stay here for a bit. I hope you don’t mind, I didn’t want to wake you.” Perry spoke so fast that Laura had a hard time comprehending what she said. She rubbed her eyes groggily. **  
**

“Oh, of course, my dear, thank you!” Ms. Halverson and Perry began to chat, and Laura took that as an opening to go back to her room. She slugged her way up the stairs, her eyes droopy with exhaust. 6 am wasn’t the time she had been hoping to get up at, but as she woke up, a sudden anxious feeling rushed through her body.  **  
**

She was going to see Carmilla today. _She was going to see Carmilla today_.  **  
**

Suddenly, Laura wasn’t tired anymore. Instead, she felt like a child on Christmas morning. She raced back to her apartment, then slowed herself down.  **  
**

It was only 6 am. She would see Carmilla around noon. She still had another 6 hours. Except, that felt like a lifetime.  **  
**

Laura took a quick shower, shoved papers messily into her bag, and got dressed. After brushing her teeth, and applying a light coat of make-up, she still had about an hour until she had to go into work, so she decided to grab some coffee. The good kind, this time. Not the shitty stuff they had at work.

 

* * *

 

Laura opted for Starbucks over Tim Hortons (she prefered Starbucks, sue her), ordering for both her and Kirsch. The place was fairly busy, but Laura could never mistake that voice.

"Hey, Laura." Danny appeared at Laura's side, and her voice seemed a bit off. Her expression was hard, and Laura knew that this wasn't going to go good.  **  
**

"Danny, hey-" **  
**

"I know you don't want to go out with me." Danny interrupted, staring at her coffee. "It's okay." **  
**

"Danny." **  
**

"I just wish you hadn't made me fall for you." She said softly, but it was like a million punches to Laura's chest. She never meant for this to happen. **  
**

"Danny, I did like you too, don't get me wrong." Laura said quietly, softly resting a hand on Danny's arm. Danny ripped her arm away like Laura burnt her. She never once met her eyes. **  
**

"Is it because there's someone else?" Danny asked, holding her breath. Carmilla immediately popped into her mind, and Danny took Laura's silence as a yes. "Right, okay." She exhaled deeply, turned around, and took off, leaving Laura feeling nothing but guilt. Laura could do nothing but watch her retreating figure.

* * *

 

Laura tiredly slouched on the couch in Kirsch's office. Kirsch was like a puppy wagging his tail when she placed the Starbucks cup on her desk, and was preoccupied by it. Laura suddenly lost her appetite for the coffee, and she just stared absentmindedly at the lid. Kirsch looked up, eyeing Laura.  **  
**

“What’s wrong, hottie?” he placed his cup down, twisting in his chair. Laura snapped up, looking at him. She shrugged.  **  
**

“Danny confronted me at Starbucks. She knew there’s someone else.” Laura muttered quietly, then inhaled deeply. “But I guess it’s better she knows. It has been a few weeks.” Kirsch nodded, then smirked.  **  
**

“That’s good.” he said. “For me.” he then winked, causing Laura to roll her eyes, but smile anyways. She didn’t know why Kirsch still tried.  **  
**

“Kirsch, how many times must I remind you: she hates you.” Laura shook her head. He shrugged.  **  
**

“Yeah, well. It got you to smile, didn’t it?” He pointed out, and Laura had to agree. She silently sipped her coffee, and watched Kirsch work. **  
**

 

* * *

 

**Laura <3 (12:05 PM): Did you find the place?  
**

Laura anxiously tapped her foot, glancing around the outside restaurant. People in pairs or groups sat at each table, and Laura was seated alone at a table for two. She checked her phone for the 16th time in the past 5 minutes.  **  
**

**Carm <3 (12:06 PM): Relax, sweetheart. I’m almost there. I’ll be there in like, one minute.   
**

Laura scoffed. “ _Relax?”_ she muttered to herself. How could she relax when she was going to see Carmilla any second. On a lunch date. Emphasis on _date._ She exhaled shakily, her foot tapping rapidly. She looked around again, her gaze lingering longer on the couples, and she sighed. Her foot began to tap faster, but came to a sudden hault. Strong hands grasped her shoulders tightly, a hot breath hitting her ears. Her heart stopped, blood draining from her face. **  
**

"Relax, cupcake." Laura's pale face suddenly turned beet red upon hearing that voice she'd only heard over the phone. The phone definitely didn't do it justice. Carmilla let go of Laura's shoulders, and Laura immediately bolted up from her seat, wrapping her arms tightly around Carmilla's neck. Carmilla blinked in surprise, but her arms slowly slid around Laura's waist, and they stood there for a while, just simply enjoying the feeling of one another. Laura smelt like hot chocolate and cookies, while Carmilla smelt like winter. Carmilla smelt like fresh air, and cold, and Laura wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but she loved it.  **  
**

"I-Im sorry, I just-" Laura laughed nervously, letting go of the woman in front of her, and ran her fingers through her hair. Carmilla raised her eyebrow in that way that she did in her pictures, and Laura bit her lip. She took in Carmilla's appearance.  **  
**

Carmilla wore a loose fitting black shirt, with a weird symbol on it. Laura tried to make out the words, but she couldn't. Only the words " _red hot_ " stood out to her. Carmilla smirked, watching Laura's head tilt slightly.  **  
**

"It says _'Red Hot Chili Peppers'_ , cupcake." Carmilla said, arching her eyebrow at the way Laura blushed furiously. Carmilla walked around the small, circular table and sat across from Laura. Carmilla had looked Laura up online, so she knew what to expect, but boy, she wasn't prepared for the sparkle in her eyes or the softness of her touch when she hugged Carmilla, or the beautiful shade of pink that never seemed to disappear from her cheeks.  **  
**

"So," Laura started out awkwardly, sitting down. Damn, it was so much easier talking to her on the phone. Laura felt so nervous. "You look great." Laura blurted, and Carmilla stared at her, amused. Laura squirmed under her gaze. **  
**

"So do you." Carmilla replied. Carmilla was dressed in her old band tee, ripped dark jeans, and black flats, and honestly, it wasn't anything special, but Laura was definitely looking great. She had this whole hipster journalist look to her, which Carmilla probably would have hated, but Laura made it work. Or maybe it was just because Carmilla liked her. **  
**

"Thanks." Laura blushed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "So," Laura took her bottom lip in between her teeth. She didn't expect it to be this difficult to talk to Carmilla. It was so easy on the phone.  **  
**

"Tell me about your crazy cat neighbour." Carmilla offered, noticing the way Laura struggled to speak. Laura had began to tell her about Mrs. Halverson, but got distracted somewhere down the line. Honestly, Carmilla found this Mrs. Halverson woman amusing. **  
**

"Oh!" Laura perked up. "Did I mention she has _42 damn cats_?" Laura's eyes widened, and she had told Carmilla, but she wasn't going to take that away from Laura, so she raised her eyebrows in pretend surprise, offered a quiet "really?" and let Laura continue. "Yeah, 42 of them. And they're always roaming the hallways. I don't know how that woman managed to keep them away from our landlord." Laura shook her head, and Carmilla smiled in amusement. Laura spent the next 10 minutes going off about how Mrs. Halverson had to explain to the fire department why and how there was 10 cats stuck in a nearby tree, but was cut off when a waitress stopped at their table.  **  
**

"Hi, I'm Ell, and I'll be your waitress. How may I help you?" The waitress turned her full attention to Carmilla with a charming smile. Laura took in the girls appearance. She had sparkling blue eyes, a dazzling smile, and just all around perfect facial features. She had a kind, easy voice to her, and she seemed very nice, but Laura hated her. She didn't miss the way she bent down ever so slightly, squeezing her arms against the sides of her chest. Or maybe Laura was imagining it. Whatever. She didn't like the way she was looking at Carmilla, anyways. **  
**

"Uh, I'll just have an iced tea. And she'll have a hot chocolate." Carmilla told the waitress with a tight smile, and Ell smiled.  **  
**

"I'll be right back with your order." Ell winked, never once looking at Laura. Carmilla turned to Laura, who had a sour look on her face. **  
**

"What?" Carmilla frowned. "Is that not what you wanted? Should I have not ordered for you?" Carmilla questioned, worried. Laura mentioned how much she liked hot chocolate, so Carmilla figured that's what she would want. Was she being too forward by ordering for her?  **  
**

" _'Hi, my name is Ell. I'm blonde, and hot, how may I help you?'_ " Laura mocked, and Carmilla smiled, amused.  **  
**

"What are you doing?"  **  
**

"Did you not notice the way she was looking at you?" Truthfully, Carmilla didn't. But Laura definitely did, and it made Carmilla grin teasingly. **  
**

"Are you _jealous_ , cupcake?" Carmilla watched as Laura's cheeks reddened, and Laura glared at the table.  **  
**

"No." She mumbled, and Carmilla chuckles quietly to herself.  **  
**

"She's not my type, don't worry." Carmilla promised, and that seemed to catch Laura's interest. Slowly, she looked up. **  
**

"Yeah? And what is?" Laura asked shyly.  **  
**

"Yo-" **  
**

"Here you go." Ell appeared at the table, and briefly looked at Laura to hand her the hot chocolate, then smiled widely at Carmilla. Laura noticed as she gave Carmilla the iced tea that she also slid a piece of paper under it too, before walking away. Laura leaned over and snatched it. There was a number messily scrawled across it.  **  
**

"Ha." Laura laughed dryly. "She had the nerve to give you her number while we're on a date." Laura muttered, throwing it back on the table. Carmilla's heart skipped a beat when Laura said _"date",_ but didn't say anything. **  
**

She just smiled. **  
**


End file.
